Enter the Civil Rights 2.0 Video Contest
What are you and your generation doing for civil rights? The National Campaign To Restore Civil Rights wants to hear from people ages 16 to 25. To enter our video contest, upload a video up to 2-minutes in length, tag it civilrights2.0, and register at http://www.rollbackcampaign.org/video-contest.
Greenlining Institute Report: UC Medical School Failing to Keep up with California’s Diversity
The Greenlining Institute, a multiethnic research and advocacy institute, on Thursday released a report on the diversity of the University of California’s medical student body. Among the findings: although African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans make up more than 40 percent of the population of California, they comprise less than 20 percent of UC medical students. [Thanks to Hector Preciado for sharing this news with us.]
The Greenlining report analyzes official enrollment data from the University of California Office of the President, which shows the number of applicants, accepted students, and enrollees at each of the five UC medical school campuses of each race, from 2001-2007.
To access the report online, follow http://greenlining.org/documents/view/217.
Disturbing Trend in Law School Diversity
From the Society of American Law Teachers (SALT) blog, via our new legal intern Aman Sebahtu: Despite the rise in the number of available seats in American law schools, up nearly 4,000 seats in the last fifteen years, African American and Mexican American enrollment has decreased at an alarming rate. Overall these applicants are showing better conventional stats–LSAT scores and college grade point averages–yet they are vanishing from law schools. That translates into fewer attorneys of color in America’s future. This means a less diverse bench and bar.
This analysis, based on Law School Admission Council data, is now available on the website “A Disturbing Trend in Law School Diversity,” created by Columbia Law School’s Lawyering for the Digital Age Clinic in collaboration with SALT. The site was created by SALT member, and former SALT board member, Conrad Johnson, Clinical Professor of Law at Columbia Law School who is recognized nationally as a leader in innovative legal education, access to justice and technology.
Dennis Kucinich Introduces Articles of Impeachment
Congressman Dennis Kucinich is right now on the floor of the House of Representatives introducing 35 articles of impeachment against President George W. Bush.
The Equal Justice Society (EJS) supports impeachment proceedings. In a Dec. 19, 2007, letter to Speaker Pelosi, EJS president Eva Paterson wrote that “impeachment should be put back on the table. We know that this administration has but one more year to govern but we know that it is critical that lawyers stand up and speak the truth. Dangerous precedents are being set. Future presidents and vice presidents will take from our silence our acquiescence to lawless acts. This compels us to act.”
“We’ve waited seven years to find one Member of Congress brave enough to stand up for our Constitution, for which generations of Americans have fought and died,” said Bob Fertik, President of Democrats.com. “We are thrilled and honored that Dennis Kucinich has chosen to be that one genuine patriot. We congratulate him on his historic leadership, and pledge to do everything in our power to persuade Congress to adopt all 35 Articles and put George W. Bush on trial before the Senate of the United States, exactly as the Founding Fathers wanted.”
“Some might question why Congressman Kucinich has done this now,” continued Fertik. “My question is why 434 other Congress Members have not done it before. Despite the uncountable and unspeakable crimes this administration has committed, George Bush and Dick Cheney remain in power and immune from prosecution. Congress must impeach Bush and Cheney now - before they further abuse their power by pardoning for all of their crimes.”
“Our Founders created a single executive precisely so that we could hold that one person accountable for the actions of the Executive Branch. It is high time we did so, and millions of Americans will be urging their representatives to support the effort being led by Congressman Kucinich,” said David Swanson, creator of ImpeachCheney.org, Washington Director of Democrats.com and co-founder of the AfterDowningStreet.org coalition.
Email or call (202-224-3121) your Member of Congress to support Rep. Kucinich’s Articles of Impeachment. And sign the petition at Democrats.com http://www.democrats.com/35-articles-of-impeachment. (At the time I posted this, the link didn’t work, likely due to traffic.)
Panel on 40 Years After Kerner at AEJMC Conference
A workshop and panel discussion on “40 Years After Kerner: Strengthening Diversity and the Mission of Public Service as Journalism Faces An Uncertain Future” will be held on Tuesday, August 5, 2008, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the annual convention of Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) taking place at the Marriott Hotel, 540 N. Michican Ave., Chicago. Four outstanding panelists will discuss and offer recommendations on how news organizations can strengthen diversity and recommit themselves to public service journalism, despite the impact of layoffs, buyoutsm tabloid entertainment journalism and the onslaught of Right-wing criticism. For more information contact Francis Ward of Syracuse University at fward@syr.edu or 315-443-9245.
